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Inset: Alexander Martinez-Armstrong (Aurora Police Dept.). Background: The area in Colorado where Alexander Martinez-Armstrong allegedly killed his 4-year-old godson (Google Maps).
In a shocking case from Colorado, a 24-year-old man is now facing serious charges of homicide following the alleged fatal beating of his 4-year-old godson. The accused, Alexander Martinez-Armstrong, reportedly sought to impose his own version of a disciplinary “boot camp” on the young boy, which tragically ended in the child’s death.
Authorities arrested Martinez-Armstrong over the weekend, charging him with first-degree murder, according to court documents. The grim incident unfolded on a Saturday night when police officers responded to a distress call at an apartment located in the 14100 block of East Tennessee Avenue. Arriving around 10 p.m., officers found the child unresponsive and not breathing, as detailed in a news release from the authorities. The boy was discovered to have sustained significant injuries.
Despite the swift intervention of emergency medical services, who rushed the boy to a nearby hospital, he was tragically pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The extent of the child’s injuries left medical personnel “shocked,” as described in a probable cause affidavit reported by The Denver Post. The affidavit detailed that the young victim was covered in bruises from head to toe.
During the investigation at the scene, detectives discovered a belt with a broken prong placed on the kitchen counter, alongside papers filled with childlike handwriting. These papers reportedly showed evidence that the suspect had been forcing the boy to practice numbers, adding a chilling layer to the case’s narrative.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by The Denver Post revealed that medical personnel were “shocked” by the vast extent of the child’s injuries, noting he was covered from “head to toe” in bruises. Investigators processing the apartment said they found a belt with a broken prong on the kitchen counter near papers with childlike handwriting, where the suspect had been forcing the boy to practice numbers.
The victim’s mother reportedly told police she intentionally dropped her son off with Martinez-Armstrong for a “boot camp” to correct “behavioral issues,” including repeatedly lying to her, sneaking into her purse, not listening to her and occasionally sneaking candy.
The mother reportedly described the suspect as being “like a brother” to her and admitted she gave him “full permission” to discipline the child using methods she routinely used herself, such as belt whippings, spankings, push-ups, planks and wall sits, according to a report by Denver NBC affiliate KUSA.
Martinez-Armstrong reportedly said the victim was staying with him because he was “on punishment for being bad, disruptive and not listening,” and acknowledged that he forced the child to perform push-ups until he physically collapsed, which likely caused the severe bruising to the boy’s face and forearms.
The suspect further admitted that Saturday was the day he most heavily “disciplined” the 4-year-old, confessing to striking the boy’s bare skin with the belt at least 21 times, per the Post.
The child eventually fell asleep on a living room couch following the severe beating and was completely unresponsive when the suspect later checked on him. The suspect’s girlfriend immediately called 911 while Martinez-Armstrong stood over the child and attempted to perform CPR until emergency personnel arrived at the residence.
The investigation remains active, and the final cause and manner of death are pending an official release from the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office.
Martinez-Armstrong is currently being held in the Arapahoe County Detention Center without bond, records show.